Notes / Commercial Description:
The distinctive hop character of our 5 Barrel Pale Ale is due to the extraction of essential oils from select hops. We treat 5 Barrel Pale Ale to an infusion of fresh whole hop flowers in the Hop Back and the Fermentor, as well as four hop additions during the kettle boil. We like how this gives the beer a fresh, lively flavor and aroma.

Pours with a frothy, slightly creamy consistency, initially two-finger thick, tan colored head. The beer is a lightly hazy, red tinted, full amber color. The aroma is nice and hoppy up front, about what one would expect for a hoppy pale ale. The hops are clearly American with citrus notes of grapefruit, sweet orange peel and even a touch of apricot. There are some chewy malt aromatics towards the end that remind me of caramelized crystal malts and some dry, toasty, biscuit malt character.

The taste is lightly sweet up front, more so from the citrus-like hop notes than from an overabundance of unfermented malt though. Notes of grapefruit and tangerine define the citrus components but there is a touch of herbaceous pine as well as a hint of menthol in the finish. This has a nice medium bitterness to it that causes my tongue to buzz a bit after the beer has left my mouth. The malt plays a supporting role here, but there are some noticeable toffee notes as well as a generally caramelized malt character & even some biscuit like toasted malt notes peek out from time to time.

This beer is quite light and easy drinking. I could definitely see myself knocking back a few of these during a session. Of course it is light and interesting enough to be used as that beer that one starts out the night with, before moving on to more powerful beers.

Poured very nicely... wonderful head. Wanted a bit more aroma, but still good. Generally smooth with a bit of acidity. It had a pretty good balance that obviously leaned toward hop heavy... in a good way. I really liked the color and clarity of this beer. I would buy it again.

It smelled piney some malt in the nose, sort of balanced but still on the hoppy side.

Tasted of pine, light grass, some minimal malt sweetness, very dry finish. With a good mouth feel and good taste, this is a good drinking beer on draught but I don't find it as a real representative of an English Pale Ale at all, if that was what Odell had intended.

T: Very light peach, biscuit to bread crumb, very light sweetness, some drying on the finish. The malt flavors are medium to medium high, the fruit flavors are medium to medium high, the hop bitterness is medium low.

F: Medium body, medium high carbonation.

O: A full flavored malty and fruity pale ale. The hop aromas are a little muted due to age but it is still a pretty nice drink.

12oz bottle from beerhandy as part of BIF 24. Thanks for the opportunity. Date of 122005 on bottle, but no indication of what the date indicates.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" off-white head above the slightly cloudy orangey amber brew. Head fades slowly, with good lacing. Aroma is reasonably sedate with light hoppiness "overpowering" the almost-there grain scent. Taste is a surprisingly somewhat puckering citrus hops hit upfront, then balances out as the malts do their part, but the remanants of that start still linger as I smack my lips. Mouthfeel is nice and smooth, and drinkability is, like many English-styles, very impressive. High sessionability here in a pleasingly put together package.

Well thats an interesting color for a pale ale, this one is darker than average, auburn, like amber and brown together at last. Carbonation was lower, but I guess that goes with the English pale ale territory. Aroma wasn't much.

Taste was that Burton yeast and wood vibe. O'Dells definitely left the hops out, or went old school low alpha acid on them. Not a repeat purchase, I guess good for people who don't like hoppy pale ales, somewhat of a niche market.

The color is a clear copper, Italian Earth color. Veyr tiny and slow bubbles slowly make there way to the top of my beer. A one finger head slowly sibsides to a tough film of foam that lasts all 12 ounces.

Clean hop aroma with just a touch of toasted caramel and crystal malts.

Powdery toasted mlat, that seems to have that pilsner malt flavor. Maybe just a hint of biscuits as the palate loses some of that pwodery feel in the middle. The hops add just a little touch of lemon and crispness. The palate finishes semi-dry and flat.

Mostly clear with a slight haze, amber with a fine, eggshell cap and tons of lace. The aroma was mostly citrus, tangerine, with slight malt. Moderate bitterness with orange, floral, and citrus notes, slight toastiness. Medium to light bodied, lowish carbonation, and dry. A good pint of pale ale.

Pale fuzzy peach body. Thin, bubbly ivory white head. Lace comes in sporadic rings. Nice little aroma of hops. A little citrus, a little pungent, a little resiny. On the palate, the malt base could use just a bit of a boost. As is, I get some toffeeish malt tones. Hops adds some lemon and citrus to the mix. Body is medium and the carbonation is quite subdued. Decent enough, but nothing I'm gonna need to seek again, like the St. Lupulin or the IPA.

Taste of wood. Seems consistent with a lot of the O'Dell's. Grainy. Not exactly west coast pale, nor british. Really tastes closer to an amber ale than the pales I'm used to. Neat to check out once, but wouldn't see myself purchasing this at $7.99 anytime soon.

A: Pours a very cloudy reddish/brown color. A small white head forms, but sticks throughout. Some spotty lace is left behind.
S: A large pine aroma up front. Though other hoppy aromas come out as well. Citrus, floral, and grassy. This is an English Pale Ale? Not really, but still very enjoyable.
T: Way to hop forward. A strong resiny, and piny bitterness. Slightly floral and grassy. A huge hope flavor and a bitterness that just wares me out. I don't know how they can call this an English Pale Ale?
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. A bit rough and prickly though. Not hard to drink one, but I would not come back for another in a sitting.

Not bad, just does not resemble an English Pale Ale at all. I could tell that right away from the nose. They really missed the style, if indeed it is intended to be English. Along with the palate burning bitterness this is not something I will revisit often.

This is a hazy, Amber ale. Ms all white head...average appearance. My he smell is soft,mbalanced between spicy hops and sweetish smelling malt. Some citrus notes. Tasty. The finish is long and slightly bitter, refreshing and drinkable.

I remember being impressed by this beer when it first came out. Its orange with a nice head and looks great in a pint glass. Smells good but I can see why this is "English" style. This is a nice balanced pale ale. Its very easy to drink, tasty, I can drink several of these, I should have bought a twelve-pack.

On draught served in a mug, the 5 Barrel is dark gold with a slight chill haze and small white head that leaves medium lace.

Smell is sweet tangerine esters and a little off tang from the malt. Isn't this supposed to be dry-hopped? It's the rotating tap so I doubt it's that old, but who knows?

Taste is very fruity, but like the nose, esters not hops. There's also this sweet tang to the malt that is a little homebrewy that I've noticed in quite a few CO micros on this trip, maybe it's something in the water, not the recipe? Either way, one I pick up on it, it's difficult for me to ignore. Aside from that, this is a pretty vanilla pale ale - I was expecting lots of hop character from the dry-hopping the tout, but there wasn't any of distinction to be found here...

MF is crisp, medium bodied.

Drinkability is on the lower side for me because of that off-flavor and lack of any other interesting tastes.

Pours a mostly clear medium-dark golden color with a sticky tainted-white color. Superb lacing and retention. A good looking beer.

Smell of hops are both floral and grassy. Biscuity malt aroma along with a slight copper tang. Do they use oats in here? Smells a bit like it. Nose is rounded out with a bit of carmel apples and honey.

This one has a pretty full malt body to go along with some hoppy bitterness. Not an abundance of hop flavors. There is the mildly toasty coppery tang again in the taste, not too fond of that. Maybe it is the fact this is supposed to be English style and they tried to give it some minerality...Overall, It is very drinkable and a fairly good PA.

Pours a clear amber with a large white head that slowly settles to a thin cap. Large amount of sticky lacing is left on the glass. Mild aroma. Floral and herbal hop qualities. A little ash is detected as well. Did I mention how weak the aroma was? Herbal and earthy hop flavor. A touch of pine as well. Mild biscuit malt and even some yeast esters giving some complex flavors. Low bitterness for some decent hoppy flavors. Mild yet complex. Lighter body with a soft effervescent carbonation. Lively and dynamic. Well done pale ale. Nice lighter body and low ABV. Bitterness will not wear the palate out. Very sessionable.

Brassy gold with a medium firm cap of dark ivory foam that slims down to a solid skimming. Lacing in spattered sheeting sticks lightly to the glass.

Solid aroma of deeply woody hops and tone with a splash of pine oil, hay, and some dulled orangeyness.

Taste is also solid with a bold holding tone of woodyness and a nice crunch of grimey pine oil to add some beefy bite in bitterness to its finish. There's a tad of some orange and darker grapefruit stretched within the woodyness.

Body is a smooth medium with a bold pinch of woody tone and slight astringency to its bitterness that squeezes in a bunch of old, pale pineyness and touches of citrus.

If pale ales are your thing this a keeper! For me a little more crispness and less wood/pineyness and it would be far better for some delicious drinking.

S: Very subtle. Flowery with a bit of citrus. There is a sweet caramel element from the malt.

T: Definitely an EPA. Hops are a bit citrusy and maybe a little earthy? But like the smell, very mild. Very little bitterness The sweet caramel malt is everywhere as well.

M: Super super smooth. As mentioned, just a tiny bit of bitterness from the hops. Otherwise it's silky and flavorful. Just a tiny bit of graininess in the aftertaste.

O: I thought this was a great example of an EPA so I gave it extra points. It's not very strong in any area, it focuses more on the overall package and the drinkability I think. This is a great session beer for sure, nothing too strong or overpowering about any aspect. Just an easy drinking pale ale.